John feasee



J.PRASER. FUSE LIGHTER (No Model.)

No. 599,998. Patented Mar. -1, 1999-.

NITE STATES ATENT 'Orrrcn.

JOHN FRASER, OF BRIGHTON, VICTORIA.

FUSE-LIGHTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 599,998, dated March 1,1898.

Application filed July 6,1896. Serial No. 598,088- (No model.) Patentedin Victoria. May 16, 1896, No. 13,100; in South Australia May 18, 1896,No. 3,253; in New South Wales May 19, 1896, No. 6,574; in Tasmania May19, 1896, No. 1,614; in Western Australia May 29,1896,No. 906; inEngland June 22,1896, No. 13,746; in Germany June 24,1896, No. 90,965;in Hungary Tune 27, 1896, No. 6,761; in South African Republic Augu t 8,1896, No. 1,178; in New Zoaland September 9, ,1 1 8,330; in ItalyOctober 8,1896,N0.42,809; in Belgium October 10, 1896,1To. 123,929; inSwitzerland October 12, 1896, No. 13,126; in France October 20, 1896,No. 260,566, and in India January 5; 1897, No. 194.

T c all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN FRASER, a subject of the Queen of GreatBritain, and a resident of Malua street, Brighton, in the Colony ofVictoria, Australia,have invented certain new and useful Improvements inand Connected with F use-Lighters, (for whichl have obtained LettersPatent in Great Britain, No. 13,746, dated June 22, 1896; in Germany,No. 90,965, dated June 24, 1896; in Italy, No. 42,809, dated October8,1896; in France, No. 260,566, dated October 20, 1896; in Belgium, No.123,929, dated October 10,1896; in Hungary, No. 6,761, dated June 27,1896; in British India, No. 194, dated January 5, 1897; in New Zealand,No. 8,830, dated September 9, 1896; in Western Australia, No. 906, datedMay 29, 1896; in Tasmania, No. 1,614, datedMay 19, 1896; in SouthAustralia, No. 3,253, dated May 18, 1896; in New South Wales, No. 6,574,dated May 19, 1896; in Victoria, No. 13,100, dated May 16, 1896; inSouth African Republic, No. 1,178, dated August 8, 1896, and inSwitzerland, No. 13,126, dated October 12, 1896,) of which the followingis a specification.

This invention has been devised to provide an inexpensive,efticient, andreliable means or appliance by which the fuses of explosives such asdynamite, powder, or the like-may be properly, regularly, and certainlyignited, and is designed to overcome many disadvantages attendant uponthe modes or means at present in vogue for igniting such fuses. At thepresent time the fuses used in connection with explosives are usuallylighted or endeavored to be lighted by what is called spitting the fuse.This method consists of holding a lighted flame to the end of the fuseuntil the latter spits fire. To enable the operator to do this with afair promise of safety, it is obvious that he must employ a long fuse.Otherwise he would not have sufficient time to reach a place of safetyprior to the explosion taking place. When a number of fuses are to belighted, a difficult and precarious task has to be performed, inasmuchas the ordinary fuse will not ignite easily, and it frequently happensthat when the operator succeeds in getting the first fuse to spit itextinguishes his light and for his own safety he must precipitatelyabandon his task for a place of safety, leaving the other fuses unlit,or perhaps in his endeavors to light others of them he has left them ina smoldering condition only to explode some time after and possiblycause a serious accident. Another common way of igniting the fuseconsists in bend-.

ing it over somewhat in the form of an arch, keeping it in position bymeans of a stone or lump of earth, and witha second lump of earth orclay the operator affixes an improvised stand or candlestick under thearch, in which he places a lighted candle so arranged that the flame ina short time burns into the fuse if placed directly beneath same; but ithappens in some cases, owing to varying conditions, such as wind or thedistance of the flame from the fuse, that the latter does not becomeproperly fired, or in some cases to light at all, or in others the saidfuse may smolder for a considerable time and ignite more or lessunexpectedly, and thus possibly cause accident. Moreover, an importantfeature in blasting or mining operations is to arrange the charges so asto explode in their proper rotation -that is to say, in the directioncalculated or aimed at by the experienced miner.

Now by the use of my invention the above difficulties and disadvantagesare overcome, and in order that my invention may be the more easilyunderstood reference may be made to the accompanying drawings, in which-Figure 1 is an elevation of my improvements attached to a piece of fuse.Figs. 2and 3 are also elevations of my improvements supplied with aprotecting shield or hood, hereinafter to be referred to, part of Fig. 3being in section. Fig. 4 shows a view of some minor details of myinvention, while Fig. 5 is a sectional plan taken at line w a: on Fig.4. I,

In the drawings, A represents a stem composed of a suitable freelyigniting andburnin g material, hereinafter to be referred to, andterminating in a bulb or enlarged portion B,

which is also composed of a suitable igniting chemical compound ormaterial. Included in this bulb or enlarged portion B and dependingtherefrom is a small shank of wood, wire, or other strong material.Encircled around or attached to this shank is a small coil of wire D,this latter wire D being for the purpose of attaching the shank O firmlyto the fuse E and a little below the sliced portion E. It will benoticed that the bulb or enlarged portion 13 is arranged so as to nestlein the slit portion E of the fuse E.

Reverting to the wire D, it may in some cases be bent to form adepression, as D and then proceed upward and terminate either in a hook,as D, or a pointed end, as D so as to hold a hood, as G, or a cylinder,as H, provided with a cover, as H, in the position shown in Figs. 2 and3. The said hood G or hooded cylinder II is designed to protect my fuselighter while it is burning from drippings of water or drafts ofwind; but Where the tunnel or shaft in which my fuse-lighters are to beused is dry and not subject to drafts the hood G or hooded cylinder Hmay be dispensed with. The material composing either G or II may consistof stiff paper, said paper having preferably been previously preparedwith some preparation rendering it incombustible.

Reverting to the stem A, I find that one suitable material for itscomposition consists of a mixture of chlorate of potash, five parts;sulfid of antimony, two parts; glue, one part, with sufficient preparedvegetable meal to slacken the burning to the required travel per minute,and referring to the bulb or enlarged portion B, I find that onesuitable material for its composition consists of a mixture of chlorateof potash, thirty-two parts; of hichromate of potash, twelve parts; redlead, thirty-two parts; sulfid of antimony, twentyfour parts, with alittle glue to consolidate the parts.

I do not confine myself to the employment of the compounds last setforth, as other suitable substances may be used in lieu thereof.

The material composing the stem A might in some cases be so calculatedas to burn a predetermined period before reaching and igniting the morefiery compound contained in the bulb B.

The modus operand i of my invention is as follows: The operator havingarranged his fuse for the explosion secures his shank O to the fuse E bya few tight twists of the wire D, having seen meanwhile that the bulb Bis in close contact with a sliced portion E. If the locality be a wetone, or exposed to drafts, the operator may place the hooded cylinder Hor hood G upon the wire D in manner shown on Figs. 2 or 3. He thenlights the top of A, which being of highly-ignitible material, burnseither quickly or slowly, but surely, according to the character of themixture of which it is composed,until the bulb B becomes This bulb beingcomposed of a maignited.

terial producing great heat and of great ignition power, quickly firesthe fuse.

On Fig. 4 a plate or disk J, of cardboard or analogous substance, isshown, its function being to act as a shield or plate, so as to pro ventany sparks or ignited droppings from A touching or prematurely ignitingeither the bulb B or the slit fuse end E.

I prefer in some climates to coat the outside of A and B with a film ofgelatinous substance or varnish, so as to protect same from damp ordeterioration.

I would here point out some of the advantages to be gained by using myimprovements in connection with fuses, viz: ((1) Economy is effected,inasmuch as shorter lengths of fuse can be used; (1)) considerablereduction in the risk of misfires, thus saving loss of time to workmen,who have to wait a given period before returning on the dangerous errandof ascertaining the reason of a non-explosion; (c) enabling the operatorto light, say, three or more charges quickly with an ordinary light, andshould anything unforeseen arise during an interval of, say, threeminutes which might prevent him retreating to a safe distance the saidoperator can simply snuff out the lighted stems and all danger is over,whereas under the present system the unfortunate man or men would simplyhave to await their doom; ((1) enabling shots to do their work properlyby exploding in precalculated rotation, for by using my igniters andlighting them quickly the operator may with safety depend that all hisfuses will be set on fire almost at the same instant, so that if thefuses are regulated in proper proportionate lengths the shots willexplode in correct rotation and do their best work; (6) the minimizingor avoiding of accidents or catastrophes caused'by quick fuses orpremature explosions.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of mysaidinvention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare thatwhat I claim is 1. In a fuse-lighter, the combination with a stem ofsuitable freely-burning material, of a bulb or enlarged portion composedof a fiery compound and secured to said stem, a fuse having its end inclose proximity to said bulb, a fastening-shank secured to the bulb andmeans for connecting the fuse to said shank.

2. In a fuse-lighter, the combination with a stem of suitable freelyigniting and burning material, of a fuse having its end sliced, a bulbor enlargement secured to said stem near its lower end and composed of asuitable igniting material and arranged to nestle in the slit portion ofsaid fuse, and means for securing the stem and fuse together.

3. In a fuse-lighter, the combination with a stem of suitablefreely-ignitin g material and a bulb or enlargement secured to said stemnear its lower end and also composed of a suitable igniting material, ofa fuse with its end in close proximity to said bulb, a shank of suitablematerial depending from said bulb, and a coil of wire serving to firmlyattach said shank to the fuse.

i: in a fuse-lighter, the combination with a stem of suitable freelyigniting and burning material and a bulb or enlargement soeured to saidstem near its lower end and also composed of a suitable ignitingmaterial, of a fuse with its end in elose proximity to said bulb, meansfor seen ring the stem and fuse together, a protector for thefuse-lighter and means for supporting said protector in posi tion.

5. In a fuse-lighter, the co nbination with a stem of suitable freelyigniting and burning material and a bulb or enlargement secured to saidstem near its lower end and also compost-d of a suitable ignitingmaterial, of a fuse with its end in close proximity to said bulb, aprotecting-hood surrounding the fuselighter and provided with a cover Hand means for supporting said protecting-hood in position.

(I. In a fuse-lighter, the combination with a stem of suitable freelyigniting and burning material anda bulb or enlargement seeured to saidstem near its lower end and also composed of a suitable ignitingmaterial, of a fuse with its end in close proximity to said bulb, aprotector for the fuse-lighter and a Wire D serving to secure the fuseand stem together and to support said protector in position.

7. In a fuse-lighter, the combination with a stem of suitable freelyigniting and burning material and a bulb or enlargement secured to saidstem near its lower end and also composed of a suitable ignitingmaterial, of a fuse with its end in close proximity to said. bulb, and ashield or plate J on said stem and serving to prevent sparks ordroppings from the stem prematurely igniting the bulb or fuse.

Signed this 15th day of April, 1896.

JOHN FRASER. Witnesses:

A. HARKER, O. W. WADE.

